Shape Memory Alloys (SMA) are active materials that have been attracting attention due to their superior damping properties when compared to the usual structural materials. Those materials present a high damping capacity, during the phase transformation as well in martensitic phase, on low temperatures. In this work a NiTi SMA, commercial aluminum, stainless steel and brass were submitted to dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) in single cantilever mode. Small samples in beam form were manufactured for the accomplishment of the tests. NiTi SMA studied presented a peak of damping capacity during the phase transformation, taking the damping superior values to that presented by the conventional materials. Furthermore, it was observed that the NiTi alloy presents an increase of the storage modulus during the phase transition from low temperature phase to high temperature phase, what provides a great diversity of options for technological applications for those alloys, while an almost linear decrease of stiffness was verified for the studied conventional materials.
Shape Memory Alloy; Structural materials; Damping capacity; Transformation temperature
